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Old World Monkeys (Project Future)
Ten million years in the future, the Old World monkeys were as successful as ever, with expanding ranges, and certainly more diverse body plans. However, most of the lineages from today have gone extinct, leaving only descendants of 8 modern genera still alive in the future. However, most of these genera prospered, filling niches of their now extinct relatives. ''Erythrocebus (Saharan Desert Monkeys and Grass Walkers) The ''Erythrocebus genus is in the Holocene only represented by the patas monkey, E. patas. This ancestral species has gone extinct, and there are now seven species in this genus. They can be sorted into two groups, the three species of Saharan desert monkeys, and the four species of grass walker. The former three, as their name implies, live in the Sahara. The most common species is E. vulgaris, the common desert monkey, overalaping in ranger with both of the other two species. It's range extends from parts of Algeria, through Morocco, Senegal, Guinea, Togo, and from Nigeria to Chad. It's also the largest species, with some specimens growing to 39.6 kg. The other two species are found in more restricted ranges, with E. saharicus (dune monkeys) found in the central Sahara, and E. orientalis (lesser desert monkeys) found in a restricted pocket in the east. The Saharan desert monkeys are the only living old world monkeys to live in desert areas, however other species live in semi-deserts, tundra, and other harsh environments. They can run fast, like their ancestors, and live in troops of a dozen or less individuals. They trek across desert, feeding on carrion, insects, berries, leaves, lizards and rodents, and various other assorted food items. Like many desert animals, they have adaptations for not losing water, like very short hair, absent in places, and conservation of urine. ''Chlorocebus'' (Holocene Grivets) The five Holocene species of Chlorocebus were hit heavy by climate change and competition, and now only the grivets survive. C. australis, the great grivet, lives on the eastern coast of Africa, and a second species, C. elegans, lives farther south, and is nearly extinct. The genus has been slowly declining since the end of the Holocene, and these last two species remain mostly unchanged from modern forms. ''Macaca'' (Sundaland Macaques, Australian Macaques, and Holocene Macaques) Macaques are the most successful primates in the future. However, many of these species are in newer genera that have evolved. As such, the genus Macaca proper is only found in southeast Asia and Australasia. Despite this, the genus still contains over a dozen species, although most of these remain fairly unchanged. There are five species of Sundaland macaques, which all live on the Sundaland peninsula. The most notable of these is the great macaque, which can grow to 36kg, the largest living Macaca species, and which is found across most of the peninsula. Other then this, the coastal Phillippine macaque is very common across Phillippine coasts, the tiny lesser Sunda macaque and great Sunda macaque are the most arboreal, and the brown Sunda macaque is a generalized species in terms of both size and niche. ''Neomacaca'' (Eurasian Macaques) In the modern era, Macaca is the most successful genus of old world ape. one line of this group, now called Neomacaca, is the equivelent 10 million years later. They are widely spread across Asia, and have come to replace many of the now extinct old world monkeys who didn't make it passed the Holocene. Spread across Asia, and a few European pockets, they are the worlds most successful primates. With over thirty species, one could argue that they might even be more succesful then their ancestors were. For the next several milllion years, branches of this lineage will be the dominant blood of the primates, however, they won't be the last. Indeed, it is the Ape Macaques of Homomacaca that have the big future. ''Homomacaca'' (Ape Macaques) In the wrath of man, apes didn't last far past us. Although gibbons still hold the lineage on during the ice age, on their last legs, it hasn't taken long for evolution to start producing the first true replacements. With apes already declined from their previous prescence in the present day, central asian, and chinease, monkeys already have a vacant niche. In five million years time, tailess, large, and more ground oriented monkeys are already starting to displace the feeling of something missing. At first glance, they might even appear to be apes. However, the Ape Macaques are still only halmarks of new clade that will come to be more successful then the originals. 10 million years after the present, however, Homomacaca is still a new experiment. There are seven species, spread across China, Mongolia, and some other surrounding areas. H. gorilla ''and H. panmimus'' is the most extreme of these, tending to avoid climbing. Other forms are less reluctant, and still act a lot like normal monkeys. ''Papio'' (Baboons and Roman Monkeys) ''Ungulapithecus'' (Centaurs) ''Colobus'' (Grey Colobuses, Holocene Colobuses and Night Colobuses) ''Trachypithecus'' (Surfers and Mangrove Monkeys) ''Cryopithecus'' (Ice Age Ground Monkeys and Rock Clampers) ''Gracilipithecus (Seedeaters and Bornean Spider Monkeys) ''Nasalis (Australian Noser) Category:Project Future Category:Primates Category:Article stubs Category:Monkeys